What are you thinking about?
Have you ever stopped to check what’s going on in your mind? And when you did check, was there anything particularly unsettling or disturbing about the content? Or perhaps you’re used to what fills your mind. And the thing about the mind is that it’s not just the contents it possesses, it’s the perspective on those contents. They’re familiar things – how you’re going to pay for this, how you’re going to manage through that situation, what you’re going to say in this relationship, what you’re going to do in that circumstance.
Behind those issues, there is a driver to determine what we think about and how we think about it. The driver determines if those thoughts will help us or derail us. Subtly, some drivers make it possible for us to be derailed from anything fruitful and beneficial. And so insidious is that driver that we’re often content to barely live what we consider to be effective lives, practically making our way through, trudging along from one scenario to the next, believing that if we’re emerging still alive, that must mean something. Although the reality for most remains that all we’re doing is staving off the inevitable.
Paul and the Right Mind – Romans
On at least two occasions, the apostle Paul was keen to tell the congregation of believers that their thought lives could not be left to those kinds of drivers. Following in the way of Christ, who commanded prioritising the Kingdom of God, Paul passionately lived in such a way that set an example to the saints of how the thought life could be driven by the Holy Spirit and, as a result, determine the content of the mind and the approach to that content.
The first significant word He made on the thought life was found in Romans 12, where, having outlined the majestic nature of the gospel of Jesus Christ, he linked that to what it means for those who follow Jesus. What it means is that we offer our bodies as a living sacrifice, and we go about determining what the good, acceptable and perfect will of God is. And the gap between those two is to acknowledge that the world shaped us, but now we are called to be transformed by the renewing of our thinking. That kind of ongoing mind renewal determines new habits and approaches. That kind of mind renewal informs relationships with others and sets a model for others to witness what Jesus meant when He talked about how the world would know we’re His followers by the love we have for each other.
Paul and the Right Mind – Philippians
Another area where Paul outlined to the community of grace the importance of thinking that aligns with Christ was in his letter to the church in Philippi. In the first part of the letter, Paul appealed to the brethren to apply the mind of Christ to humbly serve each other in the spirit of unity. The mind of Christ was key for the community of Jesus to operate in a way that reflected Jesus, which was counter-cultural. It was counter-cultural then—it’s counter-cultural now.
And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honourable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:8-9)
Later in that same letter, as he was wrapping up, he had some key thoughts to share with them about the key to the thoughts they should have. His thoughts spoke of qualities and ended in his encouragement to follow what he said and did so that they could experience what it was to be with the God of peace.
Paul and the Right Mind – By Example
Before considering the qualities, it’s worth looking at the encouragement to follow the example. Paul staked his reputation on the line by stating that he was a model to consider in helping the community to be like Jesus. This wasn’t a boast; this was a reference to the life he lived in their company. They saw him – he wasn’t stuck behind making weekly professional Christian appearances to give pep talks and then disappear. That’s a challenge to how we live as followers of Jesus and an encouragement that the thinking he encourages is possible to live, thanks to the same Spirit of God that lived in Paul.
What Paul encourages is not beyond the reach of those who live for Jesus daily and rely on His Spirit. What Paul promotes is the kind of thinking that would mark us as peacemakers, even as our Father is the God of peace. That makes those qualities – true, honourable, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy – worth exploring in more detail. As we explore them, we can know more about the mind of Christ and see how that thinking can shape us to pursue the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God.
Application
Here are some practical steps to consider applying at this stage:
- Reflect on what you think: Make a list of the four things that capture your mind more often than not.
- Reflect on who and what shapes your thinking: Write a note on the people and events in your life you believe have had the biggest influences on your thinking today.
- Reflect on the example you set in your thinking: Ask others and reflect on the kind of example you set for others by the kind of thinking that affects your actions.
- Reflect on Jesus’ kind of thinking: In addition to considering the list of qualities in Philippians 4:8, read Matthew 5-7 and consider how His teaching affects the way we think.
Through this series exploring the qualities, the hope is to acknowledge that these qualities will help us have the right mind.
It’s something to think about.
For His Name’s Sake
C. L. J. Dryden
Shalom
Next Steps
Reflect: When was the last time you had a tidy-up of your thinking? Apply the practical steps to help in that process.
Pray: Dear God, help me to be honest and true about the things I think about. As I lay them all before you, help me to thank you for the good and get ready to deal with what isn’t good.
Act: This week, share the findings of your practical steps with a trusted brother or sister and ask them to check you for the steps you take to further align your thinking with Christ’s.
